


Early Morning Kiss

by TWDObsessive



Series: Kisses [2]
Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Established Relationship, Falling In Love, Fluff, Kissing, M/M, Morning Cuddles, Morning Kisses, Sleeping Together, Sleepy Cuddles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-06
Updated: 2017-02-06
Packaged: 2018-09-22 12:20:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 670
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9607385
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TWDObsessive/pseuds/TWDObsessive
Summary: Another mini-fic one-shot for the Kisses series:2. Early Morning Kiss - A kiss that’s a wake up call, its barely even lips touching, more like they're kissing your chin because they’re so tired in the early morning haze.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [1lostone](https://archiveofourown.org/users/1lostone/gifts).



> Here's another quick one to get me motivated to write more today. Gifting this kiss fic to my dear 1LostOne. Thinking of you today, bb. And I'm so glad to have you as a friend!

Rick was exhausted. The war lasted three long weeks and loved ones were lost during the struggle to beat Negan. Rick still couldn't even bare to think of who. But the most important thing was the man lying next to him. Every time he drifted off he'd have nightmares that Daryl was killed and he’d jolt awake and roll over to see him, to know he was alive and safe in Rick’s bed. 

Daryl was obviously also struggling to sleep on the first night the world would spin without Negan or his army in it. Some of the times Rick woke to check on him, the hunter’s eyes were open, his thumb nail between his teeth, biting what was left of it. Each time they found one another awake in the darkness, they would remind each other of the good. “Carl is alive. Judith is alive. Carol Aaron, Gabriel, Maggie and Sasha all still breathing.” It was important to remember who made it, just as important as it was to honor those that didn’t.

When the sun started rising and light crept in around the edges of the bedroom blinds, Rick woke again and turned to Daryl who was already awake. He always woke before the sun, that hasn’t changed. Rick was starting to find comfort in the things that hadn’t changed because so much else had. So many lives lost. Alexandria demolished. Hilltop damaged but repairable. They were all staying in the Kingdom for the time being. There was one thing that did change, though, making the breath in Rick’s lungs worthwhile after all that killing. During the three weeks of war, Rick and Daryl continued to grow closer. The time they were forced apart from Negan woke something in both of them that they’d kept hidden from even themselves for far too long. A hug on the eve of war turned to more affectionate touches, then to kisses, conversations and finally to outright confessions of love, both of them fearing their own impending death and not willing to risk dying without the other understanding the depths of their love. Having Daryl like this now was one of the changes that Rick actually thrived from, that made his life worth living.

“Mornin’” Rick whispered with a deep voice still thick with sleep. He leaned over, still barely awake and kissed Daryl on the forehead.

“Mornin’” Daryl responded as he let his tired eyes drift shut again. “Daylight. I’m usually up by now.” 

He kissed Rick’s bare shoulder and Rick rolled over and put an arm around his new lover. They hadn’t actually had sex yet, but Rick knew they would once things settled down. This was actually the first night they slept in the same bed knowing they were in love with each other and that was using the word slept lightly since both barely got a wink of it in the aftermath of so much death and fear and destruction. 

“I think we deserve a day off,” Rick whispered, his eyes still gritty and sticky with sleep, his right eye still struggling to open. He aimed to kiss Daryl’s soft, innocent lips but missed and landed on Daryl’s chin. 

“So much to do,” the hunter murmured, honest intent in his words but no movement or motivation from his body. In fact, he curled in closer to Rick as he said it and kissed lightly against Rick’s cheek and the side of his nose.

“Let’s sleep just a little longer,” Rick suggested, his face now tucked into the crook of Daryl’s neck, lips sucking kisses to his earlobe.

“We ain’t gonna be no good if ain’t well rested,” Daryl justified as he turned and finally managed to land a sleepy kiss on Rick’s plump lips. And they snuggled together, night turning to day around them, and they fell asleep again in one another’s arms content in knowing that there would be a tomorrow, many tomorrows. And that they would have one another now in ways they never thought possible.


End file.
